Hi, I just started rifampin 600MG a day and I feel soo tired it is ridiculous.. I don't feel a lessoning in my symptoms just really tired.. is this normal? Thanks Posted by mazou (Member # 15319) on :
Rifampin made me fat and stupid. It never really went away... until I came off the Rifampin : )
Maybe you are just adjusting, and it will get better. Wishing you luck.
Posted by chiquita incognita (Member # 30381) on :
I would suggest you take a look at the leaflet handed out with the medication from the pharmacy. Or call your pharmacist to find out. I know that when I was doing bactrim, another sulfa drug, excess fatigue was listed as one of hte drug side effects. I don't know about that with rifampin.
Keep an eye to make sure no other symptoms develop as you go along. Be sure to report to your doctor, that is key. Some things can be herx symptoms and other things can be side effects. Yet other things can be a mix of the two. Your doctor is trained to tease apart the discriminatory picture, we lay people can only guess and most people are inclined to always assume herx, when it may be but also may not be. Careful there.
Posted by little_olive (Member # 28063) on :
Rifampin is one of the VERY few drugs actually effective against bartonella, if that's what you have. It is NOT going to make you feel better at first! You will have herxing just like with any other chronic infection. Do NOT stop taking it or change your dosing under any circumstances because THAT can cause serious reactions.
Most people do feel tired when they first take an antibiotic, amongst a number of other things. Rifampin in particular can make adrenal insuffiency worse. The most common reaction for me is headaches. Lots and lots of headaches. Not from the Rifampin in particular but with any antibiotic that reaches good levels in the brain, because these infections are in the brain. Be sure to get your liver enzymes checked every 2-4 weeks and keep in touch with your LLMD!
little olive
Posted by beths (Member # 18864) on :
I just started rifampin, and boy, am I tired! I could happily sleep all day.
Posted by MariaA (Member # 9128) on :
I remember that stage, too- it took about 2 weeks and I was sooooo wiped out during that time, and couldn't believe how much I was sleeping. I've since been able to take it with no side effects.
Posted by beths (Member # 18864) on :
Maria-your mailbox is full
So, the rif made you tired, but it did go away? Did it help your bart?
Is it a side effect of rif or a looong herx?
Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :
rifampin made me suicidal but i stuck with it and got way better with it
it also took my lumps away...maybe lymph nodes but then they came back
JUST TO BE CLEAR: RIFAMPIN IS NOT A SULFA DRUG, IS IT???
i am very allergic to sulfa...bad hives immediatley...but no problem with rifampin
Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :
up...is rifampin a sulfa drug???
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
DarkE, according to this site, sleepiness is a side effect of the med. That may be why some docs start the patient out on 300 mg the first week, then move up to 600.
Rifampin is in the rifamycin family, not the sulfa family.
Posted by lyme987 (Member # 22148) on :
Watch out for those suicidal thought on rifampin-do not push through it- you can go off for a couple days and then ramp back up(of course talking to your doc)
The drug can make you feel crazy and just remember it's the drug and not you!
Posted by MariaA (Member # 9128) on :
Rifampin is not a sulfa drug. It's used very long-term for tuberculosis treatment and other chronic infections.
Just to clarify, the issue with taking it on-and-off is that you can have a serious reaction (that can be mistaken for the flu but is much more serious) if you pulse it just a few days a week (I think the drug information where I got that info from said to not take it less than 3 times a week). I think ti's OK to stop for a few days if you need to, then start it back up.
Posted by MariaA (Member # 9128) on :
And, I've had the same experience as Lyme987- if I got severely depressed on any drugs for Lyme, I found that if I stopped for a few days and then re-started, the depression wouldn't return (or at least not for a long time). Please be very careful if following my advice if you're suicidal, though- make sure your friends or family know to watch over you if this has been a problem and you're trying the drugs again like I just recommended.
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